A Birth Story - Baby Mavery

As a birth doula, you’ve got to be prepared to pivot on a dime as plans change and shift. As I learned this past weekend, the same goes for birth photography! This sweet family was working with a doula colleague and our plans were to shoot their water birth at a local birth center. Everyone was so excited, especially since it was getting so close to the big day. Unfortunately, mama’s blood pressure decided to not behave and she ended up being transferred out of midwife care to a local hospital. This meant that restrictions would keep me from shooting the labor and actual birth of their sweet baby girl. Things happen, right?

Shifting our focus to how we could still keep the integrity of this shoot and maintain the quality of care, their doula and I had a plan. We’d tag team it! As soon as baby was born, she’d pop out and I’d head back while the placenta was being delivered through the first hour, then switch back. That placenta was behaving about as good as mama’s blood pressure was so it again needed a pivot. We got the images we could and focused on some key moments she wanted to capture and we agreed I’d come back the following day for a mini Fresh 48 session!

I love how everything turned out! And now I’m slightly obsessed with Fresh 48 shoots. Being a doula has been the best ride for the past 5 years but added photography is turning into a pure dream!

Houston Birth Photographer

Welcome to the world, sweet girl!